Ecotypic variation for seed dormancy, longevity and germination requirements in wild/weedy Sorghum bicolor in Ethiopia: implications for seed mediated transgene dispersal and persistence.

ABSTRACT: Seed dispersal is one of the vehicles of gene flow in plants. If a seed carrying transgene(s) is dispersed into the environment, the fate can be determined by its persistence in the soil bank, which can also vary in different ecotypes of a species and the physical environment of the soil including temperature and moisture. This study aimed at investigating ecotypic differences in wild sorghum for dormancy and longevity and their response to varying levels of temperature and moisture for seed germination to aid efforts to predict the potential risk of transgene flow via seeds and persistence in the soil. Wild sorghum seed was collected from different geographical regions in Ethiopia and buried for a maximum of 24 months in the soil. In a separate study, three levels of constant temperature

SUBMITTER: Adugna A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3682103 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature